The offshore islands in this area have recently been reopened for diving after a long closure by the Egyptian Government and have been designated as a Marine Park. Now suitable moorings are installed for dive boats visiting this area. The Brothers are really the tops of two undersea mountains, these islands rise from the depths and the coral clad walls offer outstanding diving with plenty of big fish action due to their remote location some 80km offshore.
D: offered as daily diving trips from Marsa Alam
L: available during live aboard trip
Big Brother (L)
The northerly of the two islands and has a small lighthouse. It has two wrecks laying on its walls. At the northern most tip of the island lays a large freighter named the Namibia, the other is the Aida II, an Egyptian supply vessel that struck at night. There is excellent wall diving all along the southern side of the reef with strong currents promoting the growth of a spectacular forest of soft corals. Frequent sightings of big pelagics and an astonishing variety of marine life.
Little Brother (L)
This island is the smaller of the two as the name implies. At the northern end is a long tongue of reef that extends seaward and in good weather it is possible to drop in here and drift. The current runs from east to west and here sharks may be seen cruising. On the south east side is a superb fan coral forest but it is deep and starts at 35m, there are also plenty of caves, overhangs, black coral, and lots of pelagics including sharks, tuna, barracuda, turtles and schools of reef fish. As you round the southern corner the slope gives way to a vertical wall where you can catch a glimpse of a silver tip shark. In summer thresher sharks are seen here, in October grey reef sharks gather to mate and divers have also reported schooling hammerheads and groups of sailfish in this area. Before you know it your computer will tell you it time to head back to the boat having had the most spectacular diving.
Quei Reefs
Four reefs and a number of pinnacles lying in close proximity. Unfortunately these reefs are quite badly damaged by the crown of thorns starfish in places, but still offer some interesting diving. Often sightings of reef sharks and sometimes a passing eagle ray.
Queseir El Qadim
The bay where the Swiss hotel ‘Movenpick’ has been built is a natural harbour used previously in Roman times. Amphoras can still be seen between the hard corals at different depths. Large schools of fish, stingrays and turtle.
Erg Esel
Big blocks of mountain coral surrounding a small flat-topped reef can be circumnavigated in one dive. Clouds of goldfish engulf the reef and swimming through the sandy patches surrounding the reef white tip sharks may be found sleeping as well as turtles and barracuda’s.
Mangrove Bay
Mangrove Bay Hotel’ has been recently built next to this natural harbour, which offers a good dive on the northern corner of the fringing reef with a hard coral garden sloping gently to the deep. Large schools of unicorns, snappers, surgeons, fusiliers and barracudas.
Sharm El Quibli
Bay on the coast offers some decent diving on its northern corner, with a sloping reef covered in acroporas, fire coral and other hard corals. Lots of groupers.
Marsa Wizri
Another bay on the coast, the fringing houses large schools of yellow goat fish, unicorns, barracuda’s and other reef fish species on both north and south outer extremes.
Habili Sheik Malek
Less than one mile away from the Tomb-Mosque on the coast, a little reef formation creates a labyrinth of hard corals, fire and huge tables where lots of fish often concentrate. Napoleon, barracuda’s and eagle ray.
Ras Torombi (D,L)
Shallow dive around the northern most tip of the cape’s fringing reef, a great deal of fire coral, giant table corals scattered over a sandy bottom. Snappers, butterflies, rays and guitar sharks.
Ras Shouna (D,L)
Bay on the coast with good dives on the north and south side. Schools of bat fish, barracuda’s and goat fish around the coral heads with glass fish which come out from the slope.
